Best cameras for co...
 

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Best cameras for commute

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For seat post to look behind and helmet to look forward etc. Something affordable please, that clips easily on and off, but also good enough quality to catch the crims.

What's everyone using?

 
Posted : 06/04/2023 10:58 am
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2nd hand go-pro for image quality, just run it in <2.7k to keep the battery life reasonable.

F+R might be some sort of gold standard, but that's a step too far for me with faffing around charging, etc. Ditto anything helmet mounted, just bar mount it with a decent mount. You can get aluminum versions of the go-pro mounts, then 'fold' the camera back on the mount as far as possible as a lot of the blurry image / noise on Go-Pro's comes from people mounting them on a long shaky pole.

TBH though, I go through phases with it. Inevitably that means things only happen when I've not been bothered to fit the camera. But to me the whole benefit of cycling is leaving the house with no faff, anything I have to charge, find, mount, switch on is a detriment to what I actually enjoy about commuting by bike. I'd maybe invest in a system that charged off the dynamo, but without another layer of faff that doesn't yet exist.

 
Posted : 06/04/2023 11:08 am
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Would some of the older models of the INSTA360 work?

I only suggest as I'm considering one for recreational use, but your question got me thinking of the benefit to commuters of having one on top of your lid.

 
Posted : 06/04/2023 11:41 am
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If commuting in daylight and you just want to capture number plates and/or an incident then buy two of these

https://chilli-tech.com/content/new-bullet-action-camera/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw27mhBhC9ARIsAIFsETGAD1WEPxTTKwzjCcsmgIEoHMiZQlpYlIxEoHVwRvcMUvPiJkit4zUaAnDPEALw_wcB

If your commute involves riding in darkness and you wish to capture people pulling out on you whilst using their phone then this one is better Drift Ghost XL Action Camera

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drift-Ghost-XL-Action-Camera/dp/B07ST83GKZ/ref=sr_1_16?crid=ZT1871S3L6PA&keywords=bike+camera&qid=1680777658&sprefix=bike+camer%2Caps%2C298&sr=8-16

As well as the above ive also ran a Gopro Hero 8 at 1080p, the battery was fine for one day's commute (1hr in total) and it captured everything nice and clearly

 
Posted : 06/04/2023 11:41 am
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Are Gopros easy to clip on and off?

 
Posted : 06/04/2023 12:27 pm
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That Chilli camera looks about right, £50 was def more like the price I had in mind

 
Posted : 06/04/2023 12:47 pm
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They look OK, but you get what you pay for.

Being able to get a reg number in good light at low-ish speed is one thing. Doing it at dusk when the cars flown past you at relative speed of 50mph is another.

Like I said, no much point going to all the faff of charging, formatting, mounting every day if it's not going to do the job. Even the go-pro struggles over winter which is why I fall out of the habit.

 
Posted : 06/04/2023 1:14 pm
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Posted : 06/04/2023 1:31 pm
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I have a Tooo on the rear as my main light and the footage is excellent, even in low light. Much better than the Cycliq it replaced. A bit over your budget though.

 
Posted : 06/04/2023 1:57 pm

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